Mother Not Adequately Apprised of Her Right to Counsel—New Hearing Ordered
The Fourth Department determined a new hearing was required because mother was not adequately apprised of her right to counsel:
We agree with the mother that she was denied her right to counsel. The mother was entitled to representation based upon her status as a respondent in a Family Court Act article 6 proceeding and a person alleged to be in willful violation of a court order, and Family Court’s inquiry concerning her decision to proceed pro se was insufficient to enable the court to determine whether she knowingly, intelligently and voluntarily waived her right to counsel… . Matter of Seifert v Pastwick, 2014 NY Slip Op 04677, 4th Dept 6-20-14